


Intrusive Light

by Altun_Heiral



Series: Patchwork Hearts [13]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, and this is also me trying to get rid of some of my stress and depression, there's 5.0 spoilers specifically for the end of 5.0, this is actually a companion to Burn Away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 00:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30114156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Altun_Heiral/pseuds/Altun_Heiral
Summary: The light begins to blur Reina's vision as she realizes the further they walk through the Tempest the less of Altun's face she can see.
Relationships: Warrior of Light/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Series: Patchwork Hearts [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838713
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Intrusive Light

**Author's Note:**

> this is a companion to Burn Away, which i wrote through Altun's eyes about her difficulty having to cope with the thought of possibly losing Reina. i've wanted to write this for a bit, and i happened to end up really depressed today so why not write angst ya know. i'm working on the next chapter of Teach Me How to Say Goodbye too, but i've been spending a lot of time with rin this week. and really i just want to enjoy the time i get with her.

Reina squeezed her eyes close for a moment before opening them again. The white around her vision flickered before fading out again. She was staring at Altun, who’s face looked somewhere between distraught and broken. Reina gave her a small smile, trying to reassure her. It didn’t appear to work as Altun reached out and gently laid her hand against the side of her face. Reina let out a small sigh, the smile still faintly on her face. The light was starting to assault her vision more an more. She wasn’t sure how much time she actually did have left. The priority was not worry Altun, which she wasn’t doing such a great job at, as Altun was clearly picking up on the change. Reina reached up took Altun’s hand in her own, rubbing her thumb gently along the back of her hand, making sure she didn’t accidentally nick Altun with the edge of her gauntlets.

Altun still had an expression of concern on her face. There was no fooling her, but she also didn’t seem eager to bring up the question in her mind either. Reina furrowed her brow as the light crawled across the edges of her vision once more. They needed to keep moving, for Altun’s sanity they had to keep moving as though nothing was amiss. She kept a hold of Altun’s hand and walked her through the Ondo Cups. Now was most likely not the time to walk off alone, but Reina just wanted it to be that way for moment. She wanted the quiet. But she also just desperately wanted a quiet moment with Altun, even if neither of them said a thing. Clearly everything was starting to weigh her heart seeing as her gaze found the sea floor below their feet.

She had argued that Reina couldn’t leave her behind, she didn’t care how much it would hurt, she didn’t want to be left there while she ran off to find Emet-Selch. Reina didn’t want Altun to get hurt, or possibly see the worst outcome and the possibility of Reina being consumed. Altun had begged, she just wanted to be with Reina, even if the outcome was not a happy one. All she wanted was to be with her at the end of it all. Altun never spoke her mind till it was too much to bear, till her feelings crashed down around her. Altun was more than strong enough for everyone else, strong enough for Reina, and yet never strong enough for herself. Once it was something connected to herself, something deeply personal, then it was hopeless for her to try to hold it in.

In all the time she’d known Altun, she didn’t cry around others, she hated people seeing her cry. Reina had seen her cry though. When she did finally let go, she never held it back from Reina, and perhaps part of that was the trust she felt towards her. That she felt safe enough to feel weak and broken sometimes in front of Reina. This trip down to the Tempest, that felt so much like an journey with an unknown ending, Reina had seen Altun shed her fair amount of tears. She was trying to keep the others from seeing them, but she wasn’t keeping Reina from seeing them. Reina tightened her grip on Altun’s hand. There was a small laugh as Altun’s head fell down against her shoulder. She was tired. They both were.

The shining white of the light eclipsing her vision was starting to get more intense as they made their way down through the Tempest. Reina had basically refused to let go of Altun’s hand. Altun really hadn’t said much, aside that she was going to find a way to save Reina, she didn’t care how, but she would do it. Even Reina wanted to believe there was a solution hiding at the end of this all. There were dried trails down Altun’s face from the tears she had been crying. Her eyes were slightly puffy and she seemed ready to collapse from exhaustion. She didn’t want Altun suffering any of this, but after the face she made back in the inn room at her, she didn’t want to leave her behind in the end either, even if it would have spared her this pain.

They walked off behind everyone else, a slower pace, fingers intertwined as they tried to find a solution to this mess. Her own mind was a swirling mess, and she could only imagine Altun’s was closer to a storm on the ocean. They stopped sometimes and just tried to take in their surroundings. There were stray tears from Altun who was just trying to process the situation along with her own thoughts. The light bounced off the edge of her vision and she realized sometimes that it was starting to block out more and more of Altun’s face. She let out a small sigh, one that did not go unnoticed. But once more Altun didn’t seem keen to say whatever was going on in her head. Perhaps she knew the question had no answer, or she was afraid of what the answer was.

Altun always told Reina she wasn’t good at goodbyes, she never learned how to make a proper one. She always got the words caught in her throat, where they’d linger and burn till she swallowed them back down. She had explicitly said she didn’t want to have to make a goodbye to Reina of all people, and she wasn’t going to, even at the bitter end she knew she’d not be able to do it. It wasn’t as though Reina was much better at it, or the thought of having to say goodbye to Altun and leave her behind. She didn’t want to have to say a goodbye at the end of this road either. It was clear Altun was desperately clinging to Reina, who was one of the only people left in her life who hadn’t either abandoned her or died. Aside her friends, Altun only had Reina now. If there was to be a goodbye at the end of this road, it would be the one that hurt the most.

The light assaulting her vision with every step they took through the memory of the end days of Amaurot was blinding. They came more frequently now, and when it did it was almost impossible to see where she was standing. And it was almost impossible to see Altun’s face. Impossible to pick out the freckles along her cheeks that then trailed down to her neck. It made it hard to see the lilac of her eyes. She wanted this infernal light out of her damn body. Altun could tell it was getting worse, and the more it happened the tighter Altun’s grip on her hand was. She almost didn’t want to find the answer at the end of the road. She didn’t want to get to the end and find a goodbye. Reina didn’t want to say goodbye to Altun or be forced to leave her alone again when she barely had anyone anymore. She had a few friends, and she cherished them. But there was Reina, and Reina meant so much to Altun.

Suddenly, Reina was the one trying to find a goodbye in case one had to be given. With Altun’s hand in her’s, she turned to face her. There were tears again, as she stared up at Reina. She tried to manage as carefully as she could to put her hand on Altun’s face. The tears just came more as all of Altun’s emotions flooded out of her. She wasn’t going to say goodbye, even at the bitter end she wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to Reina. They both wanted to believe their was no goodbye at the end of this. That they would find a way, and that in the end they win. Altun moved and wrapped her arms around Reina, but only for a few moments, before pulling back. She was either scared to hold on or scared to let go. Reina could see the tears clinging to the ends of Altun’s eyes lashes as she stared up at her. Part of her seemed scared but the other half seemed sure this was the right choice to make. Either they win together, or they go down together. Either way at the end of the road, they were at least together. A few more steps and they’d find the answer. Altun gripped Reina’s hand tight in hers. Reina was determined to beat this. No amount of intrusive light would take her from Altun.

She’d not leave her alone at the end of this road.


End file.
